Just Like You
by Nyte Kat
Summary: Jake is cheating on his girl. She knows it and leaves him. Then an electrical suicide by Hard Drive knocks the SWAT Kats unconscious and Chance gets a glimpse into Jake's past. Language Warning. I try to keep it real


_**Just Like You:**_

_**This is just another one shot. Nothing to do with my previous stories, though I do hit on the same grounds... write about what you know, right?**_

* * *

Jake sat at the top of the stairs, watching the screaming match escalate between his parents. He didn't get it. Why didn't his mom just shut up and listen to his dad? They would all be so much happier if she did. Jake shook his head, sighing as his mother received a painful blow in the face. All he wanted was a beer to go with dinner. Is it worth getting smacked around to tell him "no"? Jake stood up and went to his room, muttering, "Stupid bitch" as he shut the door._

* * *

Fifteen years later:_

Jake rolled over and stretched. "That was great." The girl beside him pulled the sheet over her naked body and smiled, intoxication evident in her drooping eyes. Jake bided his time, waiting until she was snoring loudly before he slid out of bed and grabbed his clothes. He couldn't remember her name. Lindsey... Lisa... Lorrie? Whatever. He made sure he didn't leave anything of his behind. Then he took a pen out of the drawer and tore a corner off the cover of the phone book. On it he wrote: "Thanks for a good time," and left. That was it. No remorse. That girl probably deserved it. Anyone dressed that slutty at a bar is just begging for a one night stand.

* * *

He pushed his key in the lock and turned. The sun would be up in an hour. Chance could be heard snoring throughout their home above the garage where they worked. Jake sighed. With that racket, he wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway. He checked the answering machine. Two new messages. Chance always checked the caller ID. If Jake wasn't home and it was for Jake, he'd let the machine get it. Especially if it was his girlfriend, which it was. Jake groaned as her sickeningly sweet voice sighed over the machine.

"Jake, baby, we need to talk. It's kind of important. Call me." Delete.

"Jake please, I need to hear from you, it's a matter of life and death." Delete. Jake rolled his eyes and turned on the television. He watched infomercials for an hour before switching it to some talk show, which he watched until about 8 am. Flicking off the tube, he went to the bathroom for a shower, hoping to wash the smell of alcohol and sex off his fur. Chance wouldn't say anything about his screwing around on his girl, that was his own business, but he would say something about staying out drinking all night. Jake had to admit, he did get pretty tipsy. There was a dull throb in the back of his skull as a reward.

Chance was already up and drinking his coffee when Jake dragged himself out of the shower. "Melissa called."

"I know. I'll call her back in a little bit." Jake said, knowing she would more than likely call him first.

"So, have a good night?" Chance popped his neck, giving Jake a look over.

"A blast." Jake said dully. He never saw the point in bragging about who he picked up. The phone rang just as he was pulling the bagels out of the freezer. He made a face, reading the caller ID. "Melissa." He walked out of the room, answering it as if she'd woke him up.

"Where've you been all night?" She hissed.

"Trying to get caught up in the shop." He replied. "I would have called, but it was so late, I wanted to let you sleep." He lied. He couldn't stand Melissa. She was so needy and clingy.

"You heard me say it was important. I've been up all night." She scolded.

"Quit acting like a mom and tell me." Jake forced the edge out of his voice.

"I'm pregnant."

Silence.

"Jake?"

"I heard you." His voice dropped and he sat down. She drove him nuts, but this was big. "Is it mine?"

She scoffed. "Of course it's yours."

Jake half smiled, half laughed. "Well, that's great!" Maybe this was a sign to stop fooling around before he wound up catching something.

"No, it isn't." Melissa was irritated.

"Why?"

"I'm getting an abortion." She said matter-of-factly.

"What? You can't do that!" Jake hissed.

"I've already made an appointment." Melissa sighed. "Jake, I realised something when I found out I was pregnant."

"Well, it better damn well be that you're going to die if you have that baby." Jake snapped.

"No. Jake. I don't love you. You're insensitive and controlling. I'm not having that baby. I don't want anything else to do with you."

"Melissa, you're going to throw away a life before it gets a chance just because of me? That's stupid. God, what's wrong with you?" He snarled. "That's my baby. Don't I get a say in this?"

"No. Look, I'm dropping off your stuff this afternoon. Then I'm leaving. I can't take you sneaking around behind my back. You've lied to me more times than I can remember. You can't commit to a damn thing. Honestly, you're disgusting." Melissa yelled.

"I am not sneaking around behind..."

"Don't lie. I already know. I drove by your place last night. You're bike was gone, the lights in the garage were off." She said

"That doesn't mean anything." Jake hissed.

"Yeah? That's why I saw your bike at the motel near Red's Bar?"

"Mel..."

"No. Don't say anything. I'll see you later." She hung up on him.

"Ugh!" Jake threw the phone on the bed. Sucking up his anger, he went back to the kitchen to eat breakfast.

"What's up?" Chance asked, pouring a lot of sugar into his coffee.

"She's being a bitch. Like usual." Jake crammed the bagels into the toaster. "Why don't they make these things smaller. Or the toasters bigger?"

"To keep skinny little kats like you from eating. It's a conspiracy to segragate the skinny from the fat. No in betweens." Chance grinned.

Jake half laughed.

"Hey, seriously, you doing ok? You've been one edge lately?" Chance leaned back in the wooden table chair. "You haven't been drinking have you?"

"What?" Jake gave Chance a look. "You know better than that."

"I'm just asking, that's all."

"What's that got to do with anything, anyway?" Jake searched for the cream cheese.

"Well, I remember when you used to drink all the time, you were... tempermental I guess." Chance watched Jake struggle to get the bagels unstuck before they burned.

"No. Just haven't been able to sleep lately." Jake sighed, scraping off the burnt crust.

"Oh yeah? Maybe you should come home every now and then, instead of looking for some play. Maybe try committing to that girlfriend of yours." Chance suggested.

'Yeah well maybe you should commit to minding your own business.' Jake thought, but only just laughed. "She doesn't want me around. I'm expecting her by in about an hour to drop off all the crap I keep leaving over there. Then she's leaving town."

Chance made a face as if to say "Big suprise there" but decided to leave that alone. "Sorry."

"Whatever. I deserve it I guess." Jake said, knowing its what Chance wanted to hear. Inside, he really felt he did. 'God what's wrong with me?' Jake thought.

Jake was washing the grease out of a cut on his paw when Melissa showed up. He frowned and met her at the open garage door. She dropped a cardboard box of his stuff on the floor.

"Is that all of it?" He asked, forcing a fake laugh.

"Yes" she said coldly.

"Look," He lowered his voice. "You don't have to do this."

"What? Leave?" She folded her arms across her chest and looked darkly at him.

"No. The other thing. Look, Mel, I know we could work something out." Jake pleaded. "You can't take something like that away from me like that."

"Well that's just too bad, Jake. You've cut me down so many times. Making me feel worthless with just a look or a sigh. I'm tired of it. I've made my decision." She replied.

"So that's it? It's over, just like that?" Jake's voice raised a hair.

"Yep." She said smugly.

"You're a real bitch, you know that, right?" He narrowed his eyes at her. She just stared, expectingly. "Jeez, I swear, you're all the same. Playing your own little games."

"What are you talking about?" Melissa rolled her eyes.

"You! You think you're so much better than anyone. Throwing around money on crazy things like this. Acting like it's all my fault. You know you're really just some stupid little slut." Jake lowered his voice, balling his fists, resisting the urge to spit in her face.

Chance watched, a sixth sense telling him this was about to turn bad. Jake was getting angry. Jake never gets angry.

"Jake. You're an idiot. I swear. I don't know how anyone so book smart can be so dumb. I mean you just keep pushing and pushing, throwing all your faults on me. Projecting all the things you hate about yourself. You know something? I've known you for a long time and I think it's finally happened." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "You've turned into your father."

Jake felt something snap in his brain. He didn't even realise he was going to punch her until a large blonde paw caught his smaller brown one in a crushing grip.

Chance looked at Melissa. "Why the hell are you still standing here? Get in your car and leave already." She walked backwards, a wide eyed look on her face. Jake read her eyes and realised she was right. His eyes narrowed in frustration.

"Let go of me." Jake's voice shook.

Chance watched as Melissa's car turned out of the salvage yard and then let go of Jake's fist. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Jake?" Jake didn't respond. He was watching the dust settle in the driveway, a look of pure angst in his green eyes. "Fucking whore..." He whispered.

"Like you have room to talk." Chance glared down at Jake. "I can't believe you were going to hit her!" He studied Jake's face, looking for any sign of remorse. Instead, he found a look of confusion mixed with hate. "Alright, if you're not going to talk, just go a few rounds on the bag. At least get it out." Chance walked off. Jake just nodded and left.

Six rolled around and Chance hadn't seen Jake the rest of the day. He closed up shop and went to go see if he'd calmed down any. Jake wasn't in the living room or his room, so Chance checked the hangar. Upon opening the door, he was greeted with the clash of angry drums and guitar with screaming 'singing'. Jake was sitting against the wall. The bag swinging slowly, red stains on the canvas. Chance narrowed his eyes. He saw Jake wipe his eyes and sniff.

"Jake, are you crying?"

Jake looked up. "No. Just, got sweat in my eyes." He sniffed again.

"Looks like you're spent." Chance said, eyeing the tape around Jake's knuckles. The white was stained red with blood, which had managed to drip down his paw to the floor. "Feel better?"

"Not really." Jake sighed.

"I don't know why this pisses you off so bad. It's not like you've never been dumped before. And you can't tell me you really had feelings for Melissa." Chance pointed out.

"She's pregnant." Jake said simply.

Chance just widened his eyes.

"Yeah, that's what I said too." Jake replied.

"And she says it's yours, I suppose?" Chance sat beside Jake.

"Oh, there's no question about that. I know it's mine. That doesn't piss me off." Jake said.

"Then what does?" Chance encouraged.

"The fact that I'm such a terrible kat that she's having an abortion because nobody like me deserves to live." Jake made a sound that seemed like a laugh.

"She said that?" Chance asked. Jake just nodded.

"That's why she's leaving. She's already made an appointment." Jake began peeling the tape off his fists, wincing as it pulled at the new wounds. He could barely lift his arms, but showed no sign of struggle. The claxon went off.

"Damn it." Chance said. "You up for this?"

"Yeah." Jake nodded, finishing wrapping gauze around his fists.

* * *

It turned out that Hard Drive had gone berserk again and was causing a massive electrical storm some how. Razor and T-Bone soared over the city as the sun was going down, watching the electricity spark from the lines. "Our best bet is going to be following the electrical interference." Razor said calmly. It was impossible to tell he'd just been so angry. He was so good at keeping his feelings at bay in times like these, it was almost scary. "And it looks like he's at the power plant. That's the only place that would generate enough electricity for him to conduct it in such a way."

"The power plant it is, then." T-Bone set the course and the pace. "Here we are."

"Good, set us down." Razor said, preparing to get out.

Once on the ground, the SWAT Kats headed cautiously into the building. All the loose electricity had cause several parts of the building to catch fire, though they were small enough not to worry about right now. "Razor..."

Razor looked up from the mini-dimensional radar on his glovatrix. "Yeah?"

"You better take a look at this." T-Bone was standing at an open door. Bright flashes of light and popping noises came from the room. Razor peeked inside.

"Theres Hard Drive." Razor studied the situation as quickly as he good.Hard Drive had wired himselfinto the power plants energy core. Foam dripped from his mouth and smoke danced up from his blackened fur and melted coat. Power surged all around him. "Let's get out of here." Razor said, realizing this building was about to blow up.

The Turbokat had just got into the air when the shock wave from an explosion rocked the jet and put out one of the engines. "Crud!" T-Bone hissed trying to ride it out. Then the jet lurched as the other engine blew. By then, they were over the desert. "Hold on to your tail, Razor. I'm going to try and land it!"

Razor took a deep breath and braced himself. Just as the g's were about to throw him in the dark, a stray bolt of electricity went through the jet. He felt it tingle through his body, clouding his vision with white hot sparks of pain before he fell into the arms of unconsciousness.

T-Bone saw the electricity coming up the stick, but he couldn't let it go and risk flipping the jet. It hurt more than anything as it went into his paws and worked its way quickly through his body. He grit his teeth and forced himself to bare it as he put the jet down. Exhausted, he leaned his head back and welcomed to comfort of sleep.

* * *

Chance found himself in a strange place. He knew it was a dream. But it wasn't a dream he'd ever had before. He was sitting at the top of some stairs. They were dark wood, old and cracked in some places. "What are you doing here?" Chance whipped his head around.

"Jake?" It looked like Jake, though with a little less color, and he looked so vulnerable.

"You aren't supposed to be here." Jake looked around, as if afraid of what Chance might see.

"As much as I'd love to get out of your head, bro. I don't know how I got here." Chance stood up, backing away. Something just seemed off. Why would Jake look so scared? "What is this?"

The door downstairs was flung open and a large broad shouldered kat burst through. "JACOB!" Chance's eyes widened as he looked at Jake, who'd sat down on the stairs, a look of terror spread across his face. Downstairs, a kitten could be seen cowering behind the couch. Chance walked down the stairs.

"No! Don't go down there!" Jake pleaded.

"Relax, Jake." Chance sighed, realizing that this had to be a memory of Jakes. He watched the scene unfold.

"Jacob. I said COME HERE!" The kat bellowed. The kitten quivered but came out of his hiding place. "There you are." The large kat smiled. "Your teacher called." The kittens eyes grew as wide as saucers and he began to back up. "Jake, I only ask that you pay attention in class. But can you do that?" He swooped a massive paw down and slapped the kitten. "No. You can't."

"Dad... I'm sorry..." Little Jake pleaded. "I'm trying... she just goes too slow."

"Oh that's just like your mother, thinking you're better than everyone else there. So you're too good to pay attention, huh?"

Chance tossed a quick look to the older Jake on the stairs, then looked back at what was unfolding.

"N.no that's not it. I just can't stay focused when she goes over everything twice. I'm really sorry it wont happen again." Little Jake pleaded, his words tumbling out so quickly it seemed like one really long word.

"Damn straight it won't happen again. Because I'm going to beat you so hard you'll learn to focus!"

Chance shook his head in disgust as Jake's dad took off his belt and smacked the kitten across the face so hard that the leather cut the skin. Then again, this time hitting Jake's arm, again hitting his stomach, his leg, his back, his face again. "STOP IT!" Chance screamed. As if on cue, a woman shouted from up the stairs.

"RICHARD! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"Michelle, keep your pretty head out of this!" Richard hissed loudly.

"I will not! There's no reason for you to lose control like that! He's just a kitten! Lot's of kittens have trouble paying attention in school. I'm sure there are several better things we can do instead of beating him senseless!" She tossed her long straight hair bravely over her shoulder as she pointed a delicate finger in her husbands face.

"Shut up, you ditz! Do not tell me how to discipline my son!" He slapped her hand away.

"_That_ is not discipline!" Michelle turned to check her son.

"Leave him alone!" Richard pulled her back by her hair. "Don't interfer with this!"

She gasped in pain as he threw her behind him.

"Jacob, go to your room. I'll finish with you later!" Richard ordered. Jake just stared. "NOW!" The kitten struggled to get up. "Oh for the love of God!" He jerked Jake up by the throat and set him on his feet. "GO! NOW!" He then turned to his wife.

"What the hell is wrong with you? It's after 4-o-clock and you havent even started dinner yet? I mean really, what do you do around here all day while I'm at work? Sleep with the neighbors? I know you can't be cleaning and cooking because the house is always a mess and you never start dinner until I get home!"

Michelle just shook her head. "Well I'm sorry I'm not exactly the perfect housewife, but that doesn't mean I'm out sleeping around. Not like you anyway!"

Chance suddenly jerked his head around to the older Jake. "Well that explains a bit," He muttered as the scene shifted.

Jake wasn't here watching this time. It was a different house. The front door opened and a teenage Jake walked in. Chance looked at the clock, it read only after noon, but Jake had his books with him. "This can't be good." He said outloud. Jake set his books on the counter and pulled a soda out of the fridge. He stopped and quircked an ear.

"What the fuck..?" Jake walked down the hallway to a semi-open door. "God, you fucking whore!" He threw it open. Chance walked in to see Jake's mother and some younger guy in bed.

"Watch your mouth, Jake!" She scolded, covering up.

"That's just like you! Dad works his ass off so you can fuck around on him! No wonder he's always bitching at you! You deserve every inch of pain he gives you!" Jake screamed at her.

"Hey, I don't think you should talk to your mom like that..."

"Who are you?" Jake asked smartly. The tom started to answer. "No. Shut up. I don't care who the fuck you are. Get out of my house!"

"Kevin, just go." Michelle sighed, pulling on a shirt and some jeans.

Jake watched as his mother's 'friend' left.

"Jake, what the hell has gotten into you?" She walked over to him.

Jake just shook his head and slapped her so hard her lip split open. "Just wait until dad gets home."

"I don't know why you're so smug. Because I'll tell him how you left school early! What'd you do? Get sent home again?" She argued.

"God, you know what? Just go whore yourself out until he gets home." Jake pushed her out of his face and walked off.

"And you'll cook dinner?" She asked with a smirk.

"And it will taste better than any of the garbage you put on the table." Jake replied.

"Yeah, you'll probably poison me." She rolled her eyes.

Jake looked darkly at her. "Don't tempt me."

Time shifted again, to that night. Jake's dad punched him in the face. "I'll handle what your mother did. You watch your mouth or I'll make it where you can't talk." Jake wiped the blood from his nose. "Go to your room." Richard's voice grew soft. And Jake listened, for the most part. He leaned against the door frame, listening to the argument.

"I'm tired of your shit, Michelle." Richard said sternly.

"You're not going to believe him, are you? How many times has he lied his way out of trouble?" Michelle defended.

"I do believe him. I knew you were a slut when I met you. What do you think attracted me to you?" His tone was odd. Chance didn't like it one bit.

"What are you up to, Richard?" She sounded tired and defeated.

Something snapped in Richard's eyes. "I hate you."

"It's mutual."

In a flash, Richard had thrown her into the wall hard enough to open the flesh on the back of her head. Blood matted her hair and fur. "Jake!" His father called. "Come here, son."

Jake timidly walked down the hallway. "I know you were listening, you might as well watch too."

"What are you doing?" Jake asked as his father snapped the leg off one of the dining room chairs.

"What was that you called your mother earlier?"

"A whore." Jake muttered.

"Say that a little louder." Richard grabbed Jake by the nape of his neck and pulled his head back at an odd angle.

"A whore!" Jake croaked out.

"That's right. A whore." He swung the wooden leg around in his paw. "And whore's are disgusting. They are trash." Richard hit Michelle in the face with the leg. He pummled her repeatedly. Jake hesitated and lunged. "Dad, stop it! You're killing her!" With one powerful thrust, Richard threw his son off him, into the wall. Jake smacked his head hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. "Do NOT interfer! This is a lesson, Jake! Learn it well!"

Chance watched as Jake watched his father beat his mother to death. He looked Jake in the eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry bro."

Things shifted again. Chance knew where he was now. Red's Bar. Last night. He knew it was last night because of what Jake was wearing. Those baggy black jeans and that black and white CBGB's shirt. "Not drinking, my ass." Chance scoffed. Seeing Jake motion for another beer. A woman sat down beside him. Jake checked her out, smiled and said "Whatever you want, it's on me" so clear it sounded like he was sober, though his eyes gave him away. "Thanks" she said, adding, "I'm Layla". Jake took a heavy swig before saying "well I'm intrigued" and he continued to buy her drinks until she was giggly and clumsy. "You look tired" Jake slurred. It didn't matter now, she was farther gone than he was. She nodded. "I'm in the motel next door, wanna crash there until you sober up?"

"Will you be there?" She giggled.

"Well, it is my room."

"Then okay."

Things started to shift again. But it was different light swirled brightly into Chance's eyes and he hissed in pain as he opened them to the sun. He stretched, finding himself in the cockpit of the turbokat. "Crud!" He turned around. "Razor!"

Razor was still out cold. T-Bone turned around and shook his head, realising what had just happened. "Holy shit." He took a deep breath. "Okay, first things first. Get this bird back in the air and get home." T-Bone gladly climbed out of the jet. Working on the engines would help him think.

Razor moaned feeling hot. He opened his eyes, only to wince as the glass canopy magnified the brightness of the sun into his eyes, burning into his aching head. He felt dizzy and, combined with the heat, he felt nauseas. "I hate flying sometimes," he muttered. Swallowing, he pushed himself up and out of the jet, whimpering as his stomach cramped.

"Mornin' sleepin' beauty." T-Bone teased, then frowned. "Hey you alright? You look like you're going to..."

Razor heaved loudly.

T-Bone made a face. Razor hated flying in the summer. It was his main inspiration in inventing the cyclotron. The g's he could deal with.

"I got it almost fixed here. And if you promise not to redecorate the interior, we can go home in a minute." T-Bone teased again.

"Just let me sit here for a minute." Razor let himself collapse on the sand. He put his head in his paws and focused on his breathing. He began thinking of ways to keep the cockpit cooler during the summer months.

Twenty minutes later, the SWAT Kats were back in the air and heading home. "You okay back there?" T-Bone checked, too aware of the silence between them.

"Just a little dizzy." Razor half lied, reflecting on the dream he'd had. It was so weird. He'd never relived all those moments in one dream like that. It was like he was telling a story, one he didn't want anyone to hear.

"I hope you can last another 5 minutes." T-Bone said quietly

Razor just nodded, licking his lips, which were dry and chapped. He made a face, feeling the pressure change of decent begin. In the Enforcers, Chance had taught him not to focus on the pressure changes, that it would make the feeling worse, to focus on something different. Razor began a systems check for things that needed to be repaired in more detail. In no time, the canopy had popped open and he was jumping out.

Back at home, Chance ran a paw through his sweaty blonde fur. Jake was laying down in his room. "Okay, well now or never." He knocked on the slightly open door.

"What?" Jake asked tiredly.

"Sorry," Chance apologised, forgetting Jake had been up nearly two days. "I was just wondering if I could ask you about something."

Jake rolled over onto his back. "What?"

"Okay, well... when we got hit with that bolt of electricity, I know we both blacked out. Then something really weird happened. I don't know. This is crazy." Chance sat on Jake's dresser, something that drove Jake absolutely crazy since no matter how careful he was, Chance always knocked something out of place with his tail.

"What's crazy?" Jake asked giving his friend an annoyed look.

"Alright." Chance sighed. "I had this dream and it was like I was in your head. And I saw all these terrible things and I just need to know if what I saw is true."

Jake took a breath, deciding to tread carefully. "What _exactly_ did you see?"

"Well, your dad and your mom and you. First it was you as a kitten and your teacher called your dad telling him you were doing bad in school and he..."

"Okay... stop." Jake sat up suddenly. "Yeah. It's true." He shook his head. "Look, don't make it a habit of getting in my head, okay?"

"How much of it's true?" Chance asked carefully.

"All of it." Jake said quietly.

Chance gave him a hard look. "You got a lot from that."

"Don't start this." Jake said sternly. "It wasn't my fault."

"That's what they told you?" Chance asked.

"Who?" Jake narrowed his eyes.

"When they assigned you as my new partner, I read your file. There was a huge evaluation on your ability to handle stress. What was it... Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I'm guessing they put you through some heavy therapy." Chance drummed his claws on the dresser.

"And you never questioned it?" Jake asked.

"Well, I did at first. I didn't want some loose cannon as a weapons spec. I was assured that it wouldn't be a problem. And I've learned first hand that professionaly, with you it's never a problem. You make it a point to keep your problems on the ground." Chance replied.

"So what's the problem?" Jake heaved an irritated sigh.

"Well, listen, I think of you as a kid brother and any thing I say next is because I care and I don't want you to screw your life up." Chance stated.

Jake gave him an expectant look, in his own mind already hearing the words about to be said.

"I think that the things you went through have made you an aggressive and untrusting kat and that you need to just take some time and think about how you're living your life."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Is this about the fight I had with Melissa yesterday? Because I know I got a little angry but she said I was acting like my dad. It was a low blow and she said it because she knew it would make me that angry."

"Well, I got news for you buddy, " Chance leaned foward. "After seeing what I saw, I'd say she's right."

"Okay, You know what? For future reference, you can keep your opinions about how I live my life to yourself, okay?" Jake jumped up and grabbed the keys to his bike.

"Where are you going?" Chance followed him out of the room.

"Away from here." Jake said shortly.

"To a bar." Chance replied. "That's another thing you do too much."

"What did I just say? Do you listen to anything I say? I mean, God, I ask just one thing, for you to listen and you can't even..." Jake stopped realising the words he was saying we're the same as something his father said once. "Whatever, I'll see you later." Jake slammed the door behind him.

Chance sighed, watching Jake kick up rocks on his way out.

* * *

Jake was knocking back his forth when someone tapped him on his shoulder. He spun around on his bar stool only to be eye level with the enormous chest of a large tom. "Can I help you?" He asked before downing his forth and asking for a fifth. The large kat lowered his eyes so that he met Jake's. It was obvious that Jake was already buzzing pretty heavy.

"Larry, buy this one another beer. One me" The large tom sat down.

"Do I know you?" Jake asked, hiccupping.

"You will in a minute." They small talked for about thirty minutes, enough time for Jake to drink two more. By now, he was drunk. There was no other word for it.

"Layla, dear. Is this him?" The tom waved over the petite she-kat from the other night. She nodded.

Jake closed his eyes, muttering, "shit..." He managed to dodge the first blow and even landed a couple of his own before the massive tom put him through a table. Jake unsteadly pulled himself up. "Hey I dunno what yer problem ish, if shes yer girl, I'd be pretty mad at her for sleepin with me." Jake slurred.

"I got one better for ya, She's my sister." He picked up Jake by the shirt collar and threw him. Sirens could be heard in the back ground. Jake staggered to his feet again and swung wildly at the tom just as enforcers burst through the doors.

Moments later, Jake felt himself being thrown up against the wall and his wrists cuffed behind him. A tall enforcer pushed him into the back seat of a squad car. "Puke in my car and I'll teach you the meaning of polic brutality." He threatened.

"What about him? He started it all?" Jake jerked his head towards the bar.

"Who? Darren?" The enforcer laughed. "Darren's a good guy. It never fails to suprise me how low lifes like you try to blame the good guys like him."

Jake groaned and leaned his head against the cold glass window. He felt the alcohol churning in his stomach, but feared the officer would keep his word so he swallowed it down. "low lifes like you..." The words echoed in his head.

Chance was going to kill him.

Jake sat in a holding cell at the station, waiting for Chance. He was in that stage of drunk when the alcohol has sat in your system for a while and everything is spinning at different angles. He'd been told that if he can get someone to come get him, then they would let him go without any fines and all he'd get is a minor "drunk in public" on his record. Chance wasn't too happy, but said he'd be there after he picked his bike up. Keys rattled against the metal and he opened his eyes. He felt terrible. "Well I'm not carrying you home." Jake blinked a few times and saw Chance standing there, a deep scowel on his face. Jake weakly stood up and leaned against the bars for support.

"Chance... I..."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear it." Chance waited for Jake to get in the truck. It took a few minutes. "Put your seatbelt on." He said coldly.

Jake was smart enough in his intoxication to know to stay quiet. If Chance said he didnt want to hear it, then he meant it. It seemed like the longest drive home he'd ever been on. So many thoughts were going through his head.

"Thanks." Jake said quietly when they were home. He'd sobered up some. "I had a while to think and you were right."

"I'm glad you're capable of making at least one good decision today." Chance shook his head. "Look, I don't try to be an asshole. But, jeez, sometimes I just want to kick you in the ass so hard. I mean, I know you're 23 and thats still pretty young, but you need to grow up and be a kat, Jake."

Jake sat down slowly on the couch. He rested his head on the arm of the couch and threw his own arm over his eyes. "I know."

"Hey, you know, nobody said you had to be like your parents. Do you realise how things could have turned out? I mean, suppose Melissa would have wanted to have this kitten. No offense, bro, but I don't see you being a very good dad any time soon. You don't handle stress well as it is. You almost hit _her_ today. Would you want what your dad did to you on your conscience for your own kid?"

Jake sighed. He was being lectured and all he wanted to do was sleep. But Chance was right. It made him so mad, but it was true. His head throbbed. He was exhausted. Jake cleared his throat. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I can't tell you that." Chance crossed his arms over his chest. "I've tried. You need to start making the right choices on your own."

Jake groaned and clutched his head.

"That's a good thing to start with though." Chance sat in the chair near the side of the couch Jake was laying on. "You know, if you need to talk I'm here. But I can't tell you what to do. If you don't want to hear it, you won't. If you don't want to take my advice, you won't. I don't have any control over you. However, if I get another call from you saying you're in jail, I'll be damned if I come bail you out."

* * *

The next day, Jake dragged himself out of bed, hissing at the pain in his head and the turning in his stomach.

"Drink some coffee, it'll help." Chance offered. Jake smelled it, made a face and left the room. The bathroom door was heard slamming shut a moment later. Chance half laughed, "Serves you right."

A couple of minutes later, Jake returned and opted for a glass of water and some aspirin. He sighed, realising that Chance was watching him over the top of his coffee cup. "What?" Jake asked quietly.

Chance shook his head.

"Don't give me that look." Jake frowned.

"What look?" Chance defended.

"That 'I'm disappointed' look." Jake sighed. "Um, hey I hope you don't mind, but I have something I need to do today, if you'll be alright around here. I don't know how long I'll be."

"Yeah, Sure. Whatever you want. Just don't make a habit of dumping all the work on me" Chance said lightly.

"I won't. I just have to take care of this." Jake sighed again. "I'm gonna take a shower and then get out of here."

Chance just nodded.

* * *

Jake hit the highway and drove for almost two hours before finally taking a country exit. Then he hit a backroad for about 20 minutes and finally pulled into an empty church parking lot. He half laughed at how he could remember the way so easily. Jake walked around the church to an old cemetary. He counted the rows back to the 8th and watched the names as he walked to the end of the row. Finally, he found her. His mother. Jake sighed and sat down in the soft grass and traced her tombstone with his finger, careful not to scratch the marble with his claws. He remembered the fight he had with his mother that day. The names he called her. He didn't get it then. He almost didn't get it at all. Jake's lip quivered and he looked around nervously. "You deserved better." He said. "So much better." Then without warning, words and feelings just spilled foward. Before he knew it, it was dark and he was still sitting there. His knees were drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them as the wind picked up and the rain started to fall in heavy drops. Next to her grave was his fathers. He'd gotten into a fight in prison. One that ended in his death. "Bastard" Jake said. "I hate you and every fucking thing you did to me." Tears spilled from his eyes. "God, why did I even care what you thought? Why did I let you control me? I'm not you! I don't want to be like you!" Jake fell onto his back in the wet grass, closing his eyes against the rain. Memories washed over him like waves in an angry sea. Agonizing feeling after feeling beat against his brain. He remembered sitting there staring at what his father had done. He'd been so angry and scared he couldn't move. His father had called the cops on himself. Jake remembered the last time he saw his father, staring at him from the back seat of a patrol car. His last words were "You're just like me, Jake. Inside, you know it's the truth."

Jake let a feral cry of anger and hatred escape his lungs and throat that quickly turned into paniced sobs. "I don't want to be just like you!" He screamed in rage. It seemed that time passed quickly from there. Before he knew it, the sky had turned from gray to black. The rain, however, continued to fall. Eventually, Jake made himself get up. He was soaked from head to toe. And the wind chilled him all the way through to his bones. Exhausted, mentally and physically, he began the almost 3 hour trip back home. By the time, he pulled into the salvage yard, it was all he could do to get off his motorcycle and climb the steps into the house. Chance was walking down the hall when Jake came in, still wet as it had rained the whole way home. "Whoa. What happened?"

"Rain." Jake's voice was hoarse from crying. "Hey, you need the bathroom or anything? Because I'm gonna take a bath."

"'S'all your's." Chance shook his head. "You look dead on your feet."

Jake mumbled something that sounded like "I wish I was dead."

"What?" Chance asked, furrowing his brow.

"I said I need to get to bed." Jake grabbed some clean clothes out of his bedroom and shut the bathroom door behind him, locking it.

He turned on the hot water and then the cold, adjusting it to the temperature he wanted and waited for the tub to fill. He slid in while the water was still running and stretched his back. Jake's eyes drooped shut and he sighed, enjoying the feeling of the hot water on his tired muscles. Forgetting that the water was on, he slid down so that the back of his head rested on the edge of the tub. He fell asleep.

_Jake had this dream a hundred times. The one where he's sitting at the top of the stairs. This time it was different. There was white light at the bottom, and no screaming and fighting.He decended the stairs cautiously. "Mom?" His voice echoed. "Dad?" No answer. Finally he reached the bottom. A She-kat in a long white gown reached her hand to him. "Mom!" Jake fell to his knees. "God I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I called you those things! You were none of those things! You tried to protect me from him! And all I did was become him!"_

_"Jake..."_

_"No please, listen, I'm sorry. I don't know what to do now. I screwed up so bad. I was going to be a father. And I lost the chance to make up for everything dad did to me! God, I screwed up. And I hurt so many people."_

_"Jake!"_

_"What?"_

_"Jake, wake up!"_

_"Why does everyone keep saying that too me?"_

_"JAKE!"_

_"JAKE!"_

"JAKE!" Chance pounded on the door. Frowning, he shouldered the door open. Water had started overflowing the tub and Chance had slipped on his way to bed. Now, he pushed the door back. "Shit! Jake!"

Jake's eyes burst open and he pushed his head above the water, gasping for air. Chance shut the water off.

"What the hell, Jake?" Chance was wide eyed and frantic.

Jake choked and coughed, trying to figure out what happened. "I think I fell asleep..." He trailed off. Things felt different. He felt different.

"Well, how nice of you to do so underwater." Chance shook his head. "Just clean this up and go to bed, okay? Can you do that without scaring me half to death?"

Jake laughed.

"What's so funny?" Chance looked around. "I don't see anything funny about this."

"You." Jake said standing up.

Chance turned around quickly. "Thanks for warning me."

Jake wrapped a towel around his waist. "Seriously. You're a great friend, Chance."

Chance quirked an ear. "You aren't turning gay on me? Because the Jake I know would never say something that nice."

"No." Jake shook his head. "But I think I'm awake now."

"You better be after that. You jackass. Making me think you've gone and tried to kill yourself."

Jake just laughed. "Got too much to live for to do that, don't I?"

_**

* * *

Okay, THE END. I had this in my head this morning and I had to get it all out. It's just a one shot. I may elaborate further on it later. For now, I think this will do. Read and Review, please!**_

Inspriation by: Three Days Grace "Just Like You" and yes, of course, some actual events.

Nyte Kat

_**Nyte Kat**_


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